Rotary turntable



8, 1964 T. J. BACSANYI ETAL 3,160,231

ROTARY TURNTABLE Filed Feb. 21, 1964 fieorge if 762 HWMMK. e.

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United States Patent Office 3,160,231 Fatented Dec. 8, 1964 3,160,231 RQTARY TURNTABLE Thomas J. Bacsanyi, Livonia, and George A. Toteii, Birmingham, Mich, assignors to Model Products Corporation, Mount Ciemens, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 346,449 6 (Ilaims. (Cl. 185-40) This invention relates to a rotary turntable device and has particular reference to a device of this type in which the turntable is powered by a rubber band motor and a means is provided to regulate the speed of rotation of the turntable to a very slow speed so that the turntable will rotate at such speed for an extended period of time with a single Winding of the rubber band. The speed control is obtained by the use of a viscous liquid in which the turntable, or a part thereof, is disposed to impose a frictional drag on the turntable. A device of this type may be used as a rotary display stand for displaying model cars, model airplanes, or other articles and may also be used in advertising displays or the like.

Any highly viscous liquid may be used for regulating the speed of rotation of the turntable. Silicone oils having a viscosity of about 100,000 centistokeshave been found very satisfactory and will slow the speed of rotation of the turntable to around 2 or rpm. so that the table will rotate at such speed for about two hours. The viscosity of the liquid may be varied quite widely, depend ing upon the desired speed of rotation and the design of the device and viscosities of from 1,000 to 500,000 centistokes may be used. A silicone oil such as Dow Corning 200 fluid or Union Carbide L-45 Silicone Fluid has been found quite satisfactory, since it exhibits little change in viscosity with temperature changes and is colorless, odorless and nontoxic.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rubber band powered rotary display device. Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which employs a rubber band as the source of power and a viscous liquid to regulate the speed of rotation of the turntable and greatly extend the period of rotation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and which will provide a desired low speed of rotation for an extended period of time.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the invention and what we now consider to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a rotary display stand embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the rotary display stand comprises a base indicated generally at consisting of a lower inverted cup-shaped member 12 having a hollow conical body member 14 secured thereon. The base member 12 is provided with a central hollow neck 16 having a radially extending rib 18 received within a groove 20 opening from a bore 21 in the end wall 22 of the body 14 to prevent rotation of the body member 14 on the base 12. 7

The body member 14 is open at its upper larger diameter end and is provided with a series of ledges 24 on its inner surface to form a seat supporting a horizontally disposed partition or platform 26. The partition 26 is provided with a central opening 28 and the rim 30 around the opening 28 defines a bearing race within which a series of ball bearings 32 are disposed. The partition 26 is provided with a pair of upwardly extending annular ribs 34 and 36 which surround the bearing race to define an annular upwardly open channel 38.

A turntable 40 extends across the upper end of the body member 14 and is provided with a central tubular boss 42 which extends downwardly through the opening 28 in the partition 26. The underside 44 of the rotary disc 40 engages the ball bearings 32 to rotatably support the table 40 on the partition 26.

The upper surface of the turntable 40 is provided with an annular rib 46 having generally radially extending projections 48. A rubber band 50 encircles a pin 52 at its upper end and the rubber band 50 extends downwardly though the tubular boss 42 and the base 10. The pin 52 engages the opposite sides of the projections 43 so as to prevent rotation of the pin 52 relative to the turntable 40.

At its lower end, the rubber band 50 receives a pin 54, the opposite ends of which are seated in arcuate recesses 56 formed at the lower end of a winding member 58 which has a tubular portion 60 rotatably journaled within portion 16 of the base member 12. The winding member is provided on its upper surface with a series of teeth 62 which engage a series of correspondingly shaped teeth 64 formed on the underside of the base member 12. The winding member 58 is also provided with a laterally extending portion 66 and an opening 63 therein so that a finger may be inserted into the opening 68 and the wind ing member rotated in one direction only, as permitted by the ratchet teeth 62 and 64 to wind up the rubber band 50. The ratchet teeth prevent reverse rotation of the winding member 58.

The turntable 40 is provided with an annular rib 70 on its underside which projects into the annular channel 38. A viscous liquid 72 is contained within the channel 38 and the portion '70 of the turntable 40 extends into the liquid 72. The liquid 72 is highly viscous and imposes a frictional drag upon the turntable 40 to slow down the speed of rotation thereof as the rubber band 50 unwinds. As previously described, the liquid is preferably a silicone liquid having a viscosity about 100,000 centistokes, although any other liquid having sufiicient viscosity to slow the speed of rotation to the desired slow speed may be employed.

The underside of the partition 26 is provided with three ribs 74 arranged as shown in FIG. 3 so that the outer ends of adjacent ribs form a triangular-shaped socket 76 Within which one of the ledges 24 is disposed so as to prevent rotation of the partition 26 with the turntable 40.

It will be seen that the use of a rubber band motor for driving a rotary display stand of this type, together with the use of a viscous liquid to regulate the speed of rotation of the turntable, provides a very efficient, but economical means for effecting very slow speeds of rotation for prolonged periods of time with only a single winding of the rubber band motor.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A rotary turntable comprising a hollow upstanding base having a horizontally disposed partition adjacent its upper end, said partition having a central opening therein and a pair of annular ribs on its upper surface to define an annular upwardly open channel on said partition, a turntable rotatably mounted on said partition, a rubber band motor having one end secured to said turn table and extending downwardly through said opening in said partition and said base, a winding member secured to the other end of said rubber band, said winding member having a ratchet connection with said base to prevent reverse rotation of said winding member thereby to effect rotation of said turntable as said rubber band unwinds, a viscous liquid in said channel, said turntabie having a downwardly extending annular rib thereon projecting into said channel and the liquid therein to impose a frictional drag on said turntable to regulate its speed of rotation.

2. A rotary turntable comprising a base having a horizontally disposed partition adjacent its upper end, a pair of annular ribs on the upper surface of said partition to define an annular upwardly open channel on said partition, a turntable rotatably mounted on the upper surface of said partition, a rubber band motor having one end secured to said turntable and extending downwardly through said partition and said base, a winding member secured to the other end of said rubber band, means to prevent reverse rotation of said winding member and thereby effect rotation of said turntable as said rubber band unwinds, a viscous liquid in said channel, said turntable having a downwardly extending annular rib thereon projecting into said channel and the liquid therein to impose a frictional drag on said turntable to reduce its speed of rotation.

' 3. A rotary turntable comprising a hollow upstanding base having a horizontally disposed partition adjacent its upper end, said partition having a central opening therein and a bearing race around said opening, a pair of annular ribs on the upper surface of said partition outwardly of and surrounding said bearing race to define an annular upwardly open channel on said partition, a series of ball bearings in said bearing race, a turntable having a central tubular boss extending through said opening in said partition and having its underside engaging said bearings for rotatably mounting said turntable on said partition, 21 rubber band motor having one end secured to said turntable and extending downwardly through said tubular boss and said base, a winding member secured to the other end of said rubber band, said winding member having a ratchet connection with said base to prevent reverse rotation of said winding member and thereby efiect rotation of said turntable as said rubber band unwinds, a viscous liquid in said channel, said turntable having a downwardly extending annular rib thereon projecting into said channel and the liquid therein to impose a frictional drag on said turntable to reduce its speed of rotation to about 3 rpm.

4. A rotary display device comprising a hollow base having a horizontally disposed partition adjacent its upper end, said partition having a central opening therein and an annular upwardly open channel. on its upper surface, a turntable rotatably mounted on said partition, arubber band' motor having. one end secured to said turntable and extending downwardly through said opening and said base, a winding member secured to the other end of said rubber band, said winding, member engaging the underside ofsaid base and having a ratchet connection therewith to prevent reverse rotation of said winding member thereby to effect rotation of said turntable as said rubber band unwinds, a viscous liquid in said channel, said turntable having a downwardly extending portion thereon projecting into said channel and the liquid therein to impose a frictional drag on said turntable so that the latter rotates at a slow speed for a prolonged period of time with a single winding of said rubber band.

5. A rotary display device according to claim 4 wherein said viscous liquid is a silicone liquid having a viscosity of from 1,000 to-500,000' centistokes.

6. A rotary display device comprising a base, means defining an annular upwardly open channel on said base, a turntable rotatably mountedon said base, a rubber band motor having one end secured to said turntable and a Winding member secured to. the other end of said rubber band, means to prevent reverse rotation of said winding member thereby to efiect rotation of said turntable as said rubber band unwinds, a viscous liquid in said channel, said turntable having -a part thereof projecting downwardly into said channel and the liquid therein to impose a frictional drag on said turntable to substantially reduce its speed of rotation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,661,913 12/53 Heizer et al. 188-10l X 2,705,631 4/ Reichold 188-101 X 2,766,849 10/56 Rudiger 185-87 2,910,246 10/59 Hait 1'88-l0l X 2,923,549 2/ Hopper et al 188-101 X OTHER REFERENCES Product Engineering magazine, pages 93, January 1950.

EDGAR W. GEOGHEGAN, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS E. WEST, Examiner. 

6. A ROTARY DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING A BASE, MEANS DEFINING AN ANNULAR UPWARDLY OPEN CHANNEL ON SAID BASE, A TURNTABLE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A RUBBER BAND MOTOR HAVING ONE END SECURED TO SAID TURNTABLE AND A WINDING MEMBER SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID RUBBER BAND, MEANS TO PREVENT REVERSE ROTATION OF SAID WINDING MEMBER THEREBY TO EFFECT ROTATION OF SAID TURNTABLE AS SAID RUBBER BAND UNWINDS, A VISCOUS LIQUID IN SAID CHANNEL, SAID TURNTABLE HAVING A PART THEREOF PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID CHANNEL AND THE LIQUID THEREIN TO IMPOSE A FRICTIONAL DRAG ON SAID TURNTABLE TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE ITS SPEED OF ROTATION. 